When to buy tickets to Hawaii has gotten interesting due to the recent arrival of Southwest Hawaii flights and additional Hawaii routes from them starting soon. Airlines are using this lull to pull back on some sales pending more announcements and flight commencements. Rest assured that whenever SWA announces more flights or schedule extensions, we will see some of the biggest sales across the board.
The single most frequent question we get asked is when to buy in this fast-changing competitive environment. To help you save money and take advantage of upcoming Southwest Hawaii flights and the “Southwest effect,” here are our latest suggestions for Hawaii vacations in 2020.
When to buy cheap flights to Hawaii.
Fall 2019 low season travel (until December 12, 2019, except over Thanksgiving). There could be additional fall sales this week, so stay tuned. Fall airfares are quite competitively priced, and availability is always good at this time of year. That makes this season an optimal time to travel to Hawaii.
Christmas/New Year high season holiday travel (December 13, 2019 through January 6, 2020). No sales are expected. Keep in mind that it is late to buy for Christmas this year and you are going to pay a premium. Each year, the best window of opportunity to purchase for Christmas/New Years begins at the end of January. Those who come to Hawaii at the holidays tend to purchase close to a year in advance to avoid disappointment and get their prime picks. Remember that accommodations and cars are very challenging at the holidays, and, as with all flights, must be planned far in advance to not encounter availability problems.
Winter 2020 low season travel (January 7 through mid-March 2020). More sales will be announced at any time. Outlook will be better than ever since there’ll be the full effect of competition from Southwest Hawaii flights.There will be widespread winter and spring 2020 airfare sales without doubt. Winter had been an expensive time of year to visit Hawaii. In the last few years, however, winter prices became more moderate.
Spring break 2020 high season travel (mid-March to early April 2020). There could be some good surprises, since there will be more flights operating. It is too close to call. In most years, however, buy tickets as far in advance as possible, due to a lack of deals and limited availability. Prices are typically 50% higher than right before or after spring break.
Spring 2020 low season travel (through June 13, 2020). Wait for sales to start late 2019 to early 2020. Look to purchase value priced tickets as sales are released. We expect this period to feature some of the best prices seen to and from Hawaii.
Summer 2020 high season travel (June 8 through August 12, 2019). There could be some good surprises for summer, since there will be more flights operating. It is again too close to call. It is generally best to buy tickets as far in advance, however, as possible due to both lack of deals and limited availability. Prices are typically 50% higher than right before or after peak season. Travel starting early August sees some softening in prices. Summer 2020 could still see surprises due to new competition. Therefore, if you’re flexible, we suggest waiting until Southwest next announces summer flights before purchasing. While we aren’t going to see $99 airfares during peak summer, we would not be surprises to see fares from key west coast gateways drop 30% during summer 2020.
Tip: At Beat of Hawaii we have our fishing net out to catch Hawaii vacation deals for you. Please subscribe to our free updates to reel them in first. Then stay tuned and act quickly on announced availability to save time and money.
Cheapest Cities for Hawaii Flights and Costs
Best Time to Visit for Hawaii Deals in 2020
Flights to Hawaii – Updated Costs by Region 2020
Best Airlines for Flights to Hawaii Updated
Visit Cheapest Time to Fly to Hawaii for more info and to ask questions.
Updated 10/7/19.
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